NEW ORLEANS – Animal activists say the demand may be in Asia, but American bears are often the target.
Now, U.S Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana has joined Senator Cory Booker (D., NJ) to introduce a bill to stop the killing of bears by poachers who export bear body parts to other countries. A similar bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last year.
According to the conservation group “Animal Wellness Action,” bear gallbladders are used in traditional Chinese medicine and are prized in China, South Korea, and Vietnam. The group says that bears are killed in the United States by poachers who “take only their gallbladders and sometimes their paws, leaving the rest of the bear behind.”
The Senate bill, called “The Bear Protection Act,” would ban interstate transportation or sale of bear parts and prohibit any imports or exports of them as well. If the bill becomes federal law, it would supersede various state laws that differ widely in the punishment for poaching.
“For years, legal loopholes have allowed the abuse and trade of wild bears to continue, ” said Kennedy in a prepared statement. “I’m proud to partner with my friend Senator Booker to help prevent the slaughter and sale of innocent creatures through a commonsense solution.”
Animal Wellness Action claims that poachers can sell gallbladders for more than $1000 each.